


Welcome Back

by miscellaneous meilleur (meilleur)



Category: Dream SMP - Fandom, Minecraft (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Author Tries to Convey a Concept but Ultimately Fails, Drabble, Dream back at it again with the child manipulation, Hypnotism, Manipulation, Pandora's Vault (Dream SMP), Prisoner Clay | Dream (Video Blogging RPF), Ranboo-centric (Video Blogging RPF), Threats of Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-21
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-15 00:47:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,180
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29550918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meilleur/pseuds/miscellaneous%20meilleur
Summary: He doesn’t care. The only thing his mind keeps looping back to is the fact that Dream himself is here, standing in front of him among the fresh air of the outside, looking to all the world like a free man.Ranboo awakes to find he made a major mistake.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 56





	Welcome Back

**Author's Note:**

> I know next to nothing about Ranboo's character himself, but I do know that he has a rather interesting relationship with c!Dream, hehe.

Waking up from his Enderwalk state is a lot like waking up after a strenuous exercise. His legs hurt from all the mindless walking, there’s nausea in his stomach from random teleportation, and more often than not he’ll find new wounds littered across his body from lack of conscious self-preservation.

All in all, not a fun experience. It’s made all the worse by a very… unexpected figure standing in front of him as if there was nothing wrong. As if they weren’t his every waking thought and current nightmare.

“— _boo. Ranboo! Are you okay_?” Dream is speaking Ender, the language rolling fluently off his tongue without the usual awkwardness that occurs with first-time learners. Ranboo has the split second thought of answering with: _Yeah, why?_ Before the situation catches up with him.

He screams, for lack of a better response. Dream startles with a heavy flinch, green eyes widening and face contorting into concern.

Ranboo realises second that Dream doesn’t have his signature mask, and he can perfectly see the other’s hollow cheeks and sunken eyes. There’s scars on his face — one across the bridge of his nose, a faded burn surrounding his left ear — and facial features that create a conventionally attractive human.

He doesn’t care. The only thing his mind keeps looping back to is the fact that Dream himself is _here_ , standing in front of him among the fresh air of the outside, looking to all the world like a free man. Which… is _wrong_ , because Sam said that Dream would be locked up forever, and would make sure to kill him if he ever tried so much as _attempting_ to escape.

Why was he here? Why was _Ranboo_ here?

“I— Dream, you— Why—?”

Dream is still wearing that concerned expression, and Ranboo wishes he had the power to tell if it was fake or not. Nothing about this situation is making sense, and Dream isn't helping.

“Oh,” he finally says. “You're awake.” It isn't spoken like one would sound after successfully waking up another. He gets a strong feeling that Dream's version of 'awake' is different from his.

Ranboo scoffs, face twisted into confused disgust. It was an interesting combination, for sure. “What are you talking about? No, I mean— Why are you… _out_?”

Dream is silent again, eyes flicking over his face and body language, bringing up a hand to gnaw on the skin of his fingers. He was still wearing his prison outfit, long hair loose and falling over both shoulders in a tangled mess. Ranboo realises that he must be connecting metaphorical dots in regards to the current situation. He wishes that he would share his conclusion with the class.

Meanwhile, Ranboo looks around, taking in their surroundings. Off in the near distance, he can see the looming structure of the prison. The dawn is breaking, lighting up the coastline and outlining the guards stationed around its walls. There’s a distinct lack of sirens, meaning that Dream’s absence has yet to be noticed by the personnel. He supposes that’s a good thing, considering Dream hasn’t gotten too far from the location.

Wait. What? This shouldn’t be a good thing. In fact, Ranboo is two seconds from shouting out to them when a hand is placed on his shoulder.

“Ranboo, I need you to listen.” Dream leans in close, conspiratorially. “You just broke me out of prison. When Sam finds out I’m missing, he’ll start looking for my escape route.”

“I— I don’t— Did I—?”

“Ranboo.” Dream’s façade— it must be a façade, he thinks. There’s no way he _hadn’t_ already planned out this whole conversation — falls away to reveal a nasty smirk. It doesn’t have the full effect considering his malnourished skin and lingering effects of mining fatigue weighing down on him, but Ranboo shivers all the same. “There’s no way to escape the prison on my own. I know; I designed it that way. No way in, no way out. But you know who does have the ability to get into places they’re not supposed to?”

It’s phrased as a rhetorical question because he knows the answer. How could he not? As a child, it was a key takeaway that teleportation allowed him access to even the most closed-off areas. Whether that was sneaking into invite-only parties, vaults hiding treasure, or… an impenetrable prison.

(He’s not proud of those expeditions anymore. Everything gained now he’s gained through his own hard work. Thievery left a bitter taste in his mouth.)

Dream leaned back, arms spread wide in a show of _You can leave, but I know you won’t_. “Now, you can either help me out — and I’ll provide protection in return — or you can run as a fugitive and fend for yourself. Sam won’t take mercy on you because you’re a child.”

“No! I have— Tubbo will—”

There’s a blade pointed at his throat, and Ranboo focuses enough to recognise the design of it. Glowing purple envelopes a familiar curve which comes to rest at a hilt he crafted himself. Ranboo doesn’t know how Dream got a hold of his sword, but the threat remains.

“I don’t think you understood.” Dream presses forward, and the sharp tip of the blade lands lightly on the skin of his neck. “You _will_ come with me, and I won’t kill you in return.”

“You can’t do this. You can’t ensure my loyalty.”

“I don’t need loyalty when I have obedience.” To prove his point, he mimes a mocking smiley face in the air between them. Ranboo’s entire body convulses once as a pang registers near the back of his head, but the signal is weak and he doesn’t fall into its trap.

The morning air’s silence is cut through by the sudden blaring of alarms that are no doubt heard for miles. Incoherent shouting and the sound of heavy clanging echoes up from the Prison’s entrance. Ranboo holds his breath and feels his body tense in preparation.

Dream hums, eyeing the movement with hawkish intensity. “That’s our cue, Ranboo. Ready to go?” He lets the sword back into his inventory, cuffing the end of his jumpsuit to keep the pant legs from dragging. He stands and turns to Ranboo, expectant. An eyebrow raises. Ranboo never realised how non-threatening he could look without the blank stare of the mask. He supposes an empty-handed Dream sans mask shouldn’t be too hard to tolerate.

Only for a little bit. He’ll get away eventually. He has to.

“I’m… Okay. Let’s go.”

Dream smiles. “Good choice. C’mon, we got some stops on the way, so try to keep up.” The last part was said with a teasing grin — Ranboo was repulsed at the fake amity of it — before he took off into the bamboo forest.

Ranboo looks behind him one more time at the coast quickly becoming filled with armed guards (Sam stood at the front of it all, barking out orders while standing tall and commanding), and reluctantly followed Dream. He’ll play along until the moment is right, make his move, and then he won’t need to worry ever again.

**Author's Note:**

> Was I inspired after seeing MisuMisu 001's animation? Yes. Here's the link: https://youtu.be/D7ZrjWKHtXw
> 
> So this is kinda following the route that Ranboo is under Dream's hypnotism (the smiley face being his trigger). During that state he does communicate with Dream, but only in Ender.
> 
> I know it probably feels rushed, but I was feeling inspired and I still have to write an entire argumentative essay before it's due in about 4 hours. Still, hope you enjoyed! Leave a kudo, comment, whatevs. Thanks for sticking with me!


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